Swisscontact, through KropouchKasekor, an intervention of the Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA) project, in partnership with K S SEED CO., LTD. and the Cambodian Conservation Agriculture Research for Development Center (CARDEC), established a 5.6-hectare mung bean seed demonstration plot involving five farmers in May 2026. The pilot aimed to assess the feasibility and performance of mung bean seed production before scaling up.
The first production cycle delivered positive results, achieving high productivity. Through the demonstration plot, farmers witnessed the mung bean variety’s strong performance and resilience under local growing conditions. The variety can be cultivated in both the dry and wet seasons, providing farmers with greater flexibility in their cropping calendars. When supported by proper crop management practices, it produces large, high-quality grains and better yield from the traditional variety.
Building on the pilot’s success, K S SEED CO., LTD. expanded the cultivation area from 5.6 hectares to 70 hectares for the second production cycle of Ek Phnom mung bean seed production. The company selected 12 mung bean farmers from Borun Village, Treng Commune, Ratanak Mondul District, to participate in the second cycle under a contract farming model.
K S SEED CO., LTD. and the mung bean farmers formally signed production contracts at a ceremony witnessed by Battambang Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The contracts outline the responsibilities and commitments of the company and farmers throughout the production cycle. This arrangement provides farmers with greater certainty regarding market access and pricing while helping the company secure a reliable supply of high-quality mung bean seed.
This partnership strengthens collaboration among farmers, private companies, research institutions, and public authorities, contributing to a more inclusive, resilient, and commercially sustainable seed sector.
Smallholder farmers in Cambodia continue to face declining soil fertility, volatile market conditions, and limited access to agricultural technologies and advisory services. About 60% of agricultural soils are characterized by low fertility, low organic matter, and poor water-holding capacity, while climate change could reduce crop yields by 10-15% by 2040. These challenges can reduce farm productivity and make famer’s income increasingly uncertain.
To address these challenges, farmers under the contract farming arrangement will receive technical guidance from K S SEED CO., LTD on how to produce Ek Phnom mung bean seed in accordance with the required quality standards. Through the partnership, mung bean farmers will benefit a guaranteed market for their harvest, reducing market and price uncertainties and improving income security.
In accordance with the standard production and practices implemented by K S SEED CO., LTD, the 70 hectares of farmland allocated for mung bean seed production are projected to generate a total yield of up to 109 tons, and the contract farmers are expected to earn an estimated net income of approximately about USD 400 per hectare.
Through KropouchKasekor initiative, our partners aim to improve farmers’ production capacity, provide market linkages, and create sustainable opportunities for farmers to increase their income and enhance their livelihoods.
Besides its commercial value, mung beans serve as an important cover crop in conservation agriculture systems. Growing cover crops between main cropping cycles will protect the soil from degradation, improve soil structure and fertility, suppress weeds, and reduce erosion.
The contract farming partnership between the company and farmer aims to increase the productivity of high-quality mung bean seed in Cambodia. By strengthening local seed production, it will help meet domestic standard demand and improve farmers’ access to reliable agricultural inputs. Over the longer term, a consistent supply of quality seed will create a new market and bring export opportunities for Cambodian seed enterprises.
Implemented from 2025 to 2028 in Battambang and Preah Vihear provinces, the Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA) Project aims to facilitate access to sustainable agricultural inputs and services, including machinery, cover crop seeds and agricultural extension services for at least 12 000 smallholder farmers, of whom 40% are women. By bringing together farmers, private sector companies, research institutions and government authorities, this new production cycle of mung bean represents another important step towards building a more resilient, productive and sustainable agricultural sector in Cambodia.